Sew Sunshine

So long ago and so far away.......I made this quilt back in May I believe. I wanted something fun and quick and I mainly wanted to use up some of my fabrics. I used a FQ of this super cute telephone fabric. I attempted to fussy cut the bits and most of them worked but not all. Still I like it. The telephone was key because I had other telephone fabric to use on the back.  ...in two shades even. I love it! I was on a mission to use all the scraps from the front so just stuck them in the back.  "Telephone Game" I love these colors together. I forgot how big this is but pretty sure a large throw size. Since the time of making this quilt. I did work on a few for the county fair out of my stash but then I got started making kids quilts with a group of ladies at my church.  I have not posted all summer and fall it seems but I have made over 50 kids quilts, receiving blankets  and contributed to making over a 100 bedrolls from unwanted textiles for the homeless.  I wil...

Let the Sun Shine - P.Q. 13.2  challenge theme = silhouette 16.5" x 16. 5" applique my original design My challenge piece for this weeks Project Quilting theme from  Persimon Dreams blog . The theme is silhouette this week. I knew I would keep this project small if I wanted to do applique. I decided on the fused applique and then stitched it all down with invisible thread. The invisible thread turned out to work really well but it was so hard to see when working on it.  Linking up with Persimon dreams so go check out all the entries  HERE I also wanted to do a pattern or something from my library. I remembered I had one of  Sotak Handmade  little bag patterns. I dug in my stash for some light canvas fabrics and voila... This little bag went together easy and is so cute! Perfect for a little grab and go project! I plan to make more of these for sure and I have tons of fabric..haha I love big prints even in small bags.  Also linking with NTT @ ...

I....love....this....scrappy quilt! As soon as project quilting 12.2 was over I set out to start to tackle some scraps. Bags and bags and bags of scraps. You know, you finish a project and some scraps go in a bag, or you go out to a sew day (well in the old days) and you take limited stuff with you and then you come home so tired you don't put away and you end up with...bags! I probably emptied and stripped 12 or 13 smallish bags. Some of course had to stay in bags as that project may not have been finished.  Still I started sewing strips together after cutting and making size piles.  I was making some pretty good progress...then  Project Quilting 12.3 Virtual Vacation  came out on Sunday. You have to start a project after the theme is given out. So when I went to see the challenge I came across Sarah's post for  String Therapy tutorials  @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict. This tutorial she got from Christina HERE  from the blog A few scraps. Her tutoria...

I recently came across Caroline over at  Sew Can She  making another of her Color by Number quilts. This time she is focusing on the quilting doing a qal week by week. I was looking for more kid sized easy quilts to make for my project Quilts for Kids. Her color by number is a really simple strip quilt to make. I did have to adjust the size of the strip block to make a smaller sized quilt but the concept is still the same.  When you read the directions (by the way the pattern is free on her page above) you see that for each fabric you have to cut 1 and then 1/2 of a strip. Well in quilts for kids terms that means if you cut one more strip (3) you will have enough to make 2 quilts. So .......... dig out some eh.... fabric and see what you can make that might be kid friendly.  This strip method does not take long at all. I was able to cut and piece 3 big slabs like this (above) in an afternoon.  I then decided on layout start point and cut the strips accordingly....

I decided to keep the momentum going after last weeks P.Q. season 12 one week challenge. If you don't know about Project Quilting you can see my entry  HERE I make outreach quilts for a group I have mentioned many times over the years...Quilts for Kids. I try to make at least one a month if I can. Last year I was sidelined but luckily had many to give before I had to take a break from quilting.    These two heart quilts are from a pattern by Caroline at SewCanShe and the pattern is free  HERE I get her newsletters and it came up the other day in my mail and the size was right for QFKs.  I started cutting up my stash and realized it might be just as easy and fast to make 2 at one time.  Quickly and I mean quickly I had to tops done.   They measure approximately 42" x 42"  I have not quilted anything that big in quite a while and sort of forgot how to use my domestic machine and even how to sandwich a quilt. The first one I used a serpentine di...

Urbanologie QAL was hosted by  Sew Kind of Wonderful I did the block sections at the time of the qal and managed a little change in the arrangement. It was a super fun quilt to make. But then how to quilt it? I felt it is such a whimsical quilt so thought I would go outside my comfort zone and have someone else quilt it. A friend in my lcq works for Mangelsons and they do quilting so she quilted it for me in a fun mash up of designs called 'texture'.  I brought it home and squared it up and bound it the next day. Whoop there it is.....one off my UFO pile!!!  It was 13 degrees out and snowing but I went out for a quick photo shoot and came home with these beauties to share.  So fun to put this naturey quilt out in the wild.  Here you can see the quilting that Haley did!. It is all texturey goodness.  Love the Quick Curve Ruler gals for fun innovative quilts.  Linking up with NTT @  My Quilt Infatuat...

I recently purchased this super cute Fox pattern from my friend  Lorna @SewFreshQuilts  because I thought it would make a great kids quilt. Who would not be cheered by a little red fox?  Lorna has many patterns and they are so fun I know you will want to try one. *note: she did not pay me to praise her quilts they are just that fun! I wanted to snap some pics out on the park trail because we really do have a fox that frequents our neighborhood.  This guy is part of my year end sewing. I made a few gifts but I didn't want to forget about making a couple quilts for sick kids in need of comfort at my area hospitals. I sew from time to time for a local chapter of  Lincoln Quilts for Kids . I am sure there is a chapter near you too if you would like to contribute your time. The group usually has kits made up all ready to sew so all you need is your machine, supplies and batting to complete a small quilt.  Earlier this year, the QFK...

Last November I taught a class using the Quick Curve Ruler.  I had students who wanted to use the large ruler and some the small. My solution was to bring sample blocks to sew in both sizes. I already finished the Holiday runner that was the smaller sample blocks.  That one will go back to the lqg for a donation or auction item.  This one will head to my local chapter of Quilts for Kids. It is nice and bright so I hope some little one will love it.  I recently had a help meet sew day from this class and so there are a few more samples that were put on the back. It is such a great way to use the samples sewn and now the blocks didn't become orphans but a whole quilt.  I am so happy and proud of the members who contributed.  I quilted it with a little serpentine stitch. Simple and will hold together nicely for the many washing ahead.  Notice my matching garden/quilting gloves...bright seems to be my theme lately.   linking ...